Tour de... South

With the visit of our friends fast approaching I've been spending all my free moments pondering what to feed our special guests. I've gone back and forth with all kind of ideas... formal or casual... salmon or chicken... wine or cocktail? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I guess I had to stop and think about our friends. What type of people are they? Formal or casual? Definitely casual. Once we spent the weekend cooped up in a hotel room playing games and watching movies. So, after determining we should keep it casual, things just kind of snowballed after that. I was thinking southern comfort food would be perfect. When you think of a southern themed menu you immediately picture family and friends sitting around a large table. At the same time you picture an elegant setting. It's the perfect way to celebrate an anniversary while keeping things casual.

Being African American I grew up on "Soul Food," which originated in the South. But in researching for the menu I discovered there is vast array of southern food other than Soul Food. There's Cajun, Louisiana Creole, Lowcountry, and Appalachian to name a few. Something else I discovered, the dishes I grew up eating are spread out across these categories. Enter Tour de South. For the weekend we will be dining on dishes from the various categories listed above.

Still not final, but this is the way I'm leaning.

Friday - Louisiana Creole

- Bell Peppers Stuffed with Dirty Rice

- Jambalaya

- Gumbo

- Peach Cobbler

- Sweet Tea/Lemonade

Saturday - Traditional Southern

- French Toast
- BBQ Ribs

- Potato Salad

- Collard Greens

- Black Eyes Peas

- Candied Yams

Sunday - Appalachian (Breakfast Only)

- Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
- Eggs
- Sausage/Bacon
- Country Potatoes

Sounds yummy doesn't it!

Thanks for visiting - till next time.